Poppy Appeal money, as well as other charity boxes and nearly £200, has been stolen by "lowlifes" from a coffee shop in Crediton.

Ashton’s Coffee Lounge on Market Street was broken into overnight between Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday 9. Missing collection pots included that of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, RSPB, PDSA animal charity and a box for a local charity for grieving children.

Owner Julie Hazlewood said it was the actions of “lowlifes.” after finding out about the crime when she arrived to work early on Wednesday morning. She said: “I parked my scooter up and came in through the front door. I took off my coat and helmet, and as usual, the first thing I do is go and put the coffee machine in on.

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“Went to put the machine on and then noticed that the till had been forced open and everything in the till had gone. We only kept a small float in there.

“Then I looked around the front to see if there was any damage to the doors, as obviously there wasn’t any damage to the door that I came in through, and there was no damage there, but I did notice on the way back all the charity boxes had gone as well.

“They’d gained entry from Market Street and come around the back way, past the flat upstairs. They then gained access through the back door into the coffee shop.”

Ms Hazlewood said that the burglars had taken around £180 which was kept in the till overnight. She said that to see money taken from both her business and charity was a “double-whammy of horridness.”

“People have criticised us for keeping a float in there,” she said, “but because we’re open at 7:30 am, no banks or post offices are open, and we have been advised by our insurers not to carry cash. We’re not able to keep a fixed safe here, so that’s the only thing that we did do to keep that in there.

“There was a fair amount in the charity boxes because our customers are quite generous and do tend to put big notes in there, especially when it comes to the Poppy Appeal. There are a lot of ex-servicemen and women here, so they do donate well.”

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Ms Hazlewood has written to Central Devon MP Mel Squires to tell him of her anguish, as well as that of neighbours and residents in Crediton.

She said: “Our neighbours at The Green House have been broken into and also other charity shops on the High Street, some of them have been broken into too. It’s not on.

“We have a fantastic community, people have pulled together at times like this, everybody is disgusted, and we’re all on the lookout now for anything which is slightly dodgy. The community spirit showed, as when the police came to look at the scene of the crime and I was taken off, there was only one member of staff in the shop. The customers all mucked together, they all started waiting and clearing tables, we even had one lady who left her children at a table – obviously within sight – and she was washing and drying dishes. That’s the spirit of the people in Crediton.

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Ms Hazlewood said it would be too polite of her to call the culprits “lowlifes”.

She said: “I believe the police are onto them and anybody like that so I’ve got every faith in the police to do something about them.”

“They’re lowlifes; that’s the polite word. There’s no need for it.

“I would much rather these people, if they’re so desperate for money, they come to me instead of stealing from businesses or charity and ask if they have work, offer to do something, and I’d rather pay them for that.”